Lover
by Sherlockian1895
Summary: It's Nymphadora Tonks's first Order meeting, and the tall man beside her seems to know far more about her than she does about him. Remus/Tonks. *Originally published at "I Forgot That You Existed"*
1. I Forgot That You Existed

When Mad-Eye had mentioned that the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters were "a little rough around the edges", she had taken it to mean perhaps not located in the best part of town. But, Nymphadora Tonks realized after tripping over a severed troll leg umbrella stand, landing on a rug that had tracked more grime than even Mad-Eye's boots, and waking up an extremely foul portrait of her great-something-or-other, "rough around the edges" didn't even begin to cover it. After being peeled off the floor by a tisking Molly Weasley she had been whisked away towards what she presumed to be the kitchen, only briefly catching a glance of the truly repulsive house-elf heads that had been hung along the staircase wall.

Crossing the threshold into the kitchen, Tonks was hit with a wall of hot, humid air. The room was already crowded, the chairs located around the table claimed long ago, and she found herself inching along the perimeter, eventually gaining a half-yard of space behind a seat occupied by Minerva McGonagall and next to a tall man she didn't recognize. It seemed Dumbledore had already called the meeting to order before she had arrived, as he was in the middle of a presentation on Fudge and the Ministry.

"Damn Mad-Eye and his '_constant vigilance_'," she muttered under her breath. They would have arrived on time had he not felt the need to inspect the muggle neighbor's trash awaiting to be picked up the next morning. _Could be spies, y'know_, he'd insisted. _Constant vigilance!_

"Dustbins again?" the man next to her whispered above her ear.

"Something like that," she replied, before realizing she had said her previous thoughts aloud _and_ that the stranger at her side apparently knew what she was talking about. Tonks risked a sideways glance in his direction and managed to make out the smallest of smirks and a glint of amusement in his eyes. _Git_, she thought as she folded her arms across her chest, trying to pay attention to Dumbledore's words. Talk circled around Fudge and his denial of Voldemort's return, but somewhere between Molly's attempts to recruit cleaning volunteers and Mundungus Fletcher arguing about whether or not anything Molly deemed "junk" he could get his hands on, Tonks found her eyes roaming around the room, inventorying those she did and did not know.

Her gaze landed first on Kingsley Shacklebolt and Sturgis Podmore, both her coworkers, paying rapt attention to Dumbledore, if only because their participation in the discussion seemed imminent. Against the wall behind them stood a gaunt, dark-haired man whom she could only presume was Sirius. The last time she'd seen her cousin she'd only been eight or nine and he his very early twenties, but the man she saw now looked older than he ought to be at this point in his life. Two women she didn't recognize were seated next to Molly and Arthur, and across from them were two older men, identities also unknown.

A dark figure she recognized as her former, greasy-haired Potions professor stood in the corner opposite Sirius, and seemed to be giving most of his attention to glaring at the escaped convict. Bill Weasley, seemingly against his will, was stood next to Snape. He gave Tonks an amused look as Mad-Eye started ranting about the lack of security in certain Ministry departments. Tonks rolled her eyes in return; _this was mild_.

Before she knew it, people were rising from their seats and making a beeline for the stove, where two pots of whatever delicious thing Molly had cooked up tonight simmered busily. Tonks barely had time to unstick herself from the wall, (_really, could no-one open a window?_) before she was enveloped in a crushing hug. "My favorite cousin!" a warm voice exclaimed loudly in her ear.

"Sirius!" she gasped, her lungs constricting in his tight embrace. He pulled away after a moment, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Well you're certainly a lot taller than the last time I saw you," he grinned, returning his arms to his sides. "Remember when this pipsqueak thought she could take James and I at Quidditch, Moony?"

"If I remember correctly she managed to put up a pretty good fight against two grown men." Tonks suddenly realized that the voice replying was the one who had whispered in her ear earlier. _How would he have any idea what-_

"Prongs and I went easy on her, otherwise Andy would've had my head. How is your mother anyways? Still as unabashedly disgusted with her family I hope?" Tonks let out a puff of laughter, "disgusted" was putting it lightly.

"Let's just say that however happy she would be to know that I was here, for the Order, I think she might just keel over to know I was, well, _here_," she gestured around the room. "I don't think she ever really believed it, ya know, that her favorite cousin was actually a mass murderer." Sirius gave her a gracious smile. "And if _I_ remember correctly, you and James spent the entire time arguing about which of you should do what that neither of you paid me any mind while I kept scoring." The thought of her mother knowing she was currently in the ancestral home of the most noble and ancient house of Black, though amusing, had momentarily distracted Tonks from the previous issue at hand. She turned her attention from Sirius to the man beside her. "I'm sorry, I don't-"

"Remus Lupin, unfortunate lifelong friend of Sirius Black, and apparently unmemorable to young children." Long fingers clasped around her hand as she finally looked at him fully. Hazel eyes flecked with gold were framed by slightly greying light-brown hair and two thin scars that traversed his face. Despite the extremely uncomfortable temperature, he was dressed in light brown trousers and a blue, buttoned shirt. _Unmemorable? Once again?_ _Who was he?_ The corners of his mouth twitched upward as he released her hand. "Pleasure to meet you once again Nymphadora."

"_Don't_ call me-"

"You three better come eat before all the food's gone!" Molly's voice called from the other end of the room, interrupting Tonks's admonishment of her god-awful name. She sighed and turned towards the stove, leaving the two men sniggering in her wake.

Two helpings of Molly's meatballs later, all thoughts of how exactly Remus Lupin seemed to know who she was had blissfully disappeared. She'd spent most of the time she wasn't eating entertaining the youngest Weasley with various transformations: Ginny's favorite had been the pig snout, but Tonks was always partial to the beak that bore a striking resemblance to Snape. As the night had wound down, and she had to report to work the next morning far too early for her liking, Tonks found herself dutifully saying goodbye to Molly and Sirius and heading down the hallway towards the door. Unfortunately, the troll-leg umbrella stand had decided to have the last laugh of the night however, and Tonks was once again hurtling towards the floor. The crash landing she'd instinctively braced herself for never came. Instead, a strong hand grabbed her upper arm and pulled her back up to safety.

"First encounter with this monstrosity?" an amused voice came from behind her. Tonks let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as she realized she was pressed against her rescuer's chest. She pulled away quickly, turning to see, as she'd expected by this point, that Remus had been the one to stop her fall.

"Not exactly," Tonks avoided his gaze. "Thanks though. Better be on my way, Scrimgeour doesn't like employees who oversleep."

"Sorry, I was trying to catch you on your way out-"

"Well you managed that quite handily." Her eyes flickered to umbrella stand.

"Right… Anyway, Mad-Eye's got shifts scheduled for monitoring the Notts and Malfoys next week. Wanted me to make sure you got a copy." Remus handed her a piece of paper with Mad-Eye's signature scrawl on both sides. "Don't worry, it's charmed so only Order members can read it."

"Thanks." Tonks scanned the page, pausing when she saw their names together for Tuesday next. She folded the piece of paper haphazardly and stuffed it in her pocket before heading towards the door, Remus following in her stead. "I guess I'll see you on Tuesday then." She pulled the door open and headed down the front stairs. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, _Nymphadora_," he called from the doorway. She'd made it to the _last_ step before the sound of her horrendous name on his lips caused her to trip.

"_Don't_ call me _Nymphadora_!" Her words hung heavy in the hot summer air, but when she turned to see if he'd heard them, she found the door shut, Number 12 Grimmauld Place fading from view. _The git_.

* * *

The days in the lead-up to Tuesday dragged on minute by minute, yet were simultaneously a blur, events bleeding over into each other in her mind like watercolors on a canvas. Tonks wasn't exactly sure why she had been waiting in anticipation for her first real work for the Order to roll around; she'd already done plenty of intel work for them within the Ministry. Perhaps it was the chance to put those three years of training to work for the type of cause she'd fantasized about before leaving Hogwarts: fighting the good fight. Tonks unfolded the piece of paper listing the Order's shifts for that week, ignoring how worn its edges had become living in her pocket since she'd received it. Whatever it was that had her staring at the clock on the wall above her desk, it certainly had _nothing_ to do with the man's name written next to hers.

After what seemed an eternity the clock struck five, and Tonks was apparating back to her flat to change footwear, the practical the better when it came to anything that required stealth (and certain umbrella stands), before arriving at Grimmauld Place. The smell of what she could only assume to be shepherd's pie wafted down the hallway, where she expertly avoided any major catastrophes. "Tonks!" Molly called from where she stood hunched over the stove. "You're here early!"

"Was hoping I might snag a bite to eat," she replied, pulling out a chair. "Remus and I have a long night ahead of us."

"Remus is on duty tonight?" Molly flicked her wand at the pot on the stove, leaving the potatoes to mash themselves, before turning around. "I'll have to make sure he gets something to eat. He was looking rather pale this morning."

"Is he alright?" Tonks asked, concerned.

"I'm sure he'll say he's fine, as usual. Honestly, the full moon was only Sunday night, Alastor should've known better." _Full moon?_ At that the kettle whistled and two tall red-heads tumbled into the kitchen, presumably at the smell of food. Tonks busied herself with making tea while Molly shooed the boys out to alert everyone else that dinner was ready. Steaming mug in hand, she reclaimed her seat at the table before the rest of the pack stumbled in.

_Full moon?_ She thought back to a week or so earlier, when Mad-Eye had been listing out the Order members to her. _Had he mentioned anyone being a werewolf?_ Tonks took a sip from the mug, trying to remember. Mad-Eye _had_ mentioned _something_ about _someone_ and to not make a big deal of it, but it had also been five-thirty in the morning when the conversation had occurred (Mad-Eye was convinced Death Eaters had to sleep sometime, that time being the wee hours of the morning and thus made all his house-calls accordingly), so there was a fair chance her sleep-addled brain had heard the words "werewolf" and "don't worry", and went promptly back to sleep. She mulled the situation over as the rest of Grimmauld Place's inhabitants filed into the kitchen. Her mum _had_ mentioned once, after a particularly nasty headline splashed across the Daily Prophet's front page had scared her nine-year old self senseless, that one of Sirius' friends was a werewolf, so they couldn't be all bad could they? Tonks looked over the rim of her steaming mug to where Remus stood speaking with Arthur. _Could he be that friend? No,_ she shook her head, _she would have remembered something like that, and she didn't even know, or remember rather, who he was._

Dinner passed uneventfully, with only a few questions from Fred and George about her Metamorphmagus abilities, apparent "research" for their joke shop, while she continued to ponder the identity of one Remus Lupin. She found him waiting for her near the door promptly at seven o'clock, their scheduled departure time. "Wotcher," she greeted him.

"Ready?" he asked, giving her a once over. She nodded, taking note of what she presumed to be Mad-Eye's invisibility cloak draped across his arm. "Right. We'll apparate from the park down the street to a few blocks from the Nott's family home. From there we'll take the invisibility cloak and station ourselves under the old walnut tree at the corner of their property. We've got word they're having some sort of meeting there tonight and Dumbledore wants to know who's in attendance."

Tonks nodded once more; the plan seemed simple enough. "Lead the way." She motioned towards the door, taking extra care not to trip over the door frame. It was too early in the evening for the heat of the day to fully lift, and the hot air encased them as they made their way to the end of the road. They stopped in the small patch of trees she had apparated into earlier.

"Take my arm," said Remus. She did as she was told, ignoring the small rush of warmth she felt as her fingers wrapped around the soft cotton of his shirtsleeve. With a twist and a crack they were gone, reappearing in a dusty alleyway.

"Where are we?" Tonks asked, brushing the dust off her t-shirt.

"Just outside Bristol. According to Kingsley's reconnaissance, the Nott's residence should be about a mile down this road here," he pointed to the road the alleway opened up to, "and then a quarter of a mile down the first road on the right."

"A nice evening summer stroll then?" Tonks suggested jokingly.

"Exactly." Remus checked his watch. "Except unlike most nice evening summer strolls, this one won't involve any pleasant conversation, since we'll be stuck under _this_." He handed her one end of the invisibility cloak. "Shall we?"

Tonks sighed dramatically. "Oh all right. You owe me a pleasant conversation though."

"Gladly," Remus smiled, seemingly Tonks noticed, for the first time without the threat of breaking into laughter. They covered themselves with the invisibility cloak and headed out of the alleyway and down the road. _It wasn't exactly, well, roomy, _Tonks thought as her arm brushed against Remus's once again. As before, she refused to acknowledge the tingling sensation that was the result, attributing it to nerves about their mission. Just when she thought she'd finally, truly, ignored it though, Tonks felt a warm hand on her shoulder, guiding her towards the road they were meant to turn down.

_What was wrong with her? _Tonks mentally berated herself. She didn't even know who he was (though he obviously seemed to know her), really, yet here he was making her feel like she had all of her fifth year whenever Henry Goldsmith had so much as looked at her. Whatever it was, it would have to wait, as Tonks could see the large walnut tree and even larger abode looming in the distance. When they reached their destination Remus cast a concealment charm on the area around the tree before removing the invisibility cloak from them.

"So we don't have to stay under that stuffy blanket all night," he explained. Tonks nodded and cast a silencing charm around the area in response.

"So _I_ can get that pleasant conversation you owe me," she smirked. "We've got a long night ahead of us, and I've got _questions_ for you." Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Questions?"

"Yes." It had just occurred to her that perhaps the best way to find out who Remus was, whether or not he was a werewolf, and just how he knew who she was when she had no recollection of him, was to just ask. "Problem?"

"Depends on the question." He pulled a small piece of fabric from his pocket, and with a tap of his wand, it had grown to a large blanket. Remus placed it on the ground next to the tree and motioned for her to join him. "If it's 'Does Sirius chase his tail when he's a dog?', the answer is yes, absolutely, and are you surprised?" Tonks let out a puff of laughter as she sat down. "But if it's 'What's your deepest, darkest secret?', then I may not be able to answer. After all, that's what secrets are for isn't it? To be, well, secret?"

"Yeah I suppose." She cracked a smile, fighting very hard not to start laughing. "Does he really chase his tail?"

"Occasionally, when he's bored, which seems to be all the time lately…" Remus trailed off. Tonks pulled her knees up under her chin. "Though once, sixth year I believe, he chased a cat through the streets of Hogsmeade only to turn the corner to find Minerva McGonagall looking rather winded." The dam holding back Tonks's laughter burst, as did Remus's attempts to keep a straight face.

"Did she know it was him?" Tonks wiped a tear from her eye as she tried to catch her breath.

"Not a clue," Remus replied, he too trying to slow his breathing. "Well, at least not until he had the audacity to ask how her trip to Hogsmeade was the next morning." He smiled wistfully, gaze unfocused as if he were reliving the memory. "That answer all your questions?" he asked hopefully.

"Not quite-" Tonks stopped abruptly at the feel of Remus's hand on her forearm. Her breath hitched and she followed the incline of his head to the stretch of lawn to their right; three figures were hastily approaching the front entrance. "Is that-?'

"Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy? Yes I believe so." Tonks swallowed. _Just what she would like to do to her good for nothing aunt and-_ "Your mother's sister, correct?"

"Unfortunately," she sighed. "Though mum was blasted off the family tree long ago." Remus nodded in support. They remained silent after that, hoping for more guests to arrive. Tonks kept her knees pulled to her chest, contemplating just what she actually _was_ going to ask Remus. She supposed it would be a tad insensitive to just come out and ask: _Are you a werewolf? Because Molly mentioned you might be._ No, that wouldn't do. And just why did he seem to have a full account of her playing Quidditch with Sirius and James Potter? It was years ago, _she_ barely even remembered it, and it wasn't as if he had even been there…

Tonks's thoughts drifted off, recounting what her plan of attack was for the mountain of paperwork on her desk, contemplating whether tomorrow, Wednesday, was a blonde or blue hair type of day, and just skirting around the edges of why her stomach had decided to turn tingly whenever Remus touched her. She watched the sky warm from faded blue to a light pink and yellow, which then in turn melted into an orange-y red, and finally deepened into a blue-black that shone with stars. It reminded her of those blissful last days at Hogwarts each year, when she would sit out on the grass around the lake, basking in the summer air and beautiful sunset, not a care in the world. _Had Sirius done the same with his friends?_ Tonks wondered. _And had Remus been among them? _

A rumbling noise finally pulled her back to reality. "Hungry?" Remus asked. _Hungry?_ She heard the rumbling noise again, this time realizing it was from her own stomach. _Merlin this was embarrassing. _

"Seems like it," she replied nonchalantly, trying to mask the pink creeping up her cheeks. Remus reached into his pocket and pulled out something in a yellow wrapper.

"You're in luck," he said. "I just so happen to find it rather useful to always keep some chocolate about my person." Their fingers brushed as Remus handed her bar of chocolate. When Tonks went to unwrap it though, she froze.

"H-Hunelby's?" she stammered.

"Not exactly top-shelf at Honeydukes, I know…" Remus seemed to shrink into himself a bit. "It's better than nothing though, I suppose." He shifted his eyes towards the ground while Tonks continued to stare at the yellow rectangle.

"I-I was convinced I was the only one who even _liked_ Hunelby's chocolate. When I was in school the old shopkeeper at Honeydukes used to joke that I was the only reason he kept it in stock." Her friends had always preferred the pink and purple Goldenia or the bright orange Bulvery's. It had been a bit of a joke at the time, how Tonks had a thing for Hunelby's and _obviously_ didn't know anything about good chocolate, but it had been her favorite since she was a kid. She couldn't even remember why exactly, that's just the way it had been and she'd stuck to it.

Remus perked up and looked at her with a smile. "Really?" Tonks pulled the paper aside.

"Yeah it's always been my favorite, I-" She stopped. Underneath the wrapping lay the signature Hunelby's squares, adorned with individual scripted "H"s, and one of those squares had been broken neatly in half, leaving a triangle in its place. Her eyes slowly traveled from the chocolate to Remus once more. "It was… You're the one… _You?_"

* * *

Nymphadora Tonks found herself transported back to her childhood home. She had come _this_ close to beating Sirius and his friend at Quidditch, but she'd been distracted by a bright orange butterfly and had crashed straight into their makeshift goalposts. The wind was knocked out of her when she hit the ground, and she held back the tears that were threatening to escape her, because tears meant her mother and _that_ meant no more Quidditch.

"You alright?" Sirius asked concernedly, eyes searching in the distance for a fuming Andromeda.

"That was quite the fall you took there," said James. "Too bad it came just as I scored for me and Padfoot." Tonks groaned as she sat up.

"No! I was so close!" A tall boy with light-brown hair and a book in his hand approached them. He pulled something from his pocket and knelt down beside her, holding out his hand.

"Eat. You'll feel better." He smiled as she took the yellow bar from his hand.

"Chocolate?" she asked, inspecting the wrapper. He nodded. "Is it your favorite?" James and Sirius snorthed. The girl sat at their feet had _no idea._

"Definitely," he grinned. Tonks seemed satisfied with her inspection, unwrapping the chocolate and popping a piece into her mouth.

"Don't let him fool you," Sirius scoffed. "Moony's the only one who actually eats Hunelby's. Surprised they can survive on his business alone." Tonks looked up at her cousin in disbelief. The chocolate was _good_, and why was he being so mean to the boy who gave it to her?

"Well if it's-" she paused, looking up to the boy for help.

"Remus," he whispered.

"Well if it's Remus's favorite then it's my favorite too!" Tonks crossed her arms defiantly, looking proud of herself.

"Whatever you say, _Nymphadora,_" Sirius smirked knowingly.

"Don't call me-!"

"Your aunt's staring at us rather suspiciously through the kitchen window, Padfoot. We'd better get her back inside," he said quickly. James eyed the house warily. "And _I'd_ like a slice of that birthday cake." Sirius nodded in agreement and took off, determined not to let anyone get a slice of his own cake before he did. James took off after him, leaving Tonks and Remus behind. Tonks looked up at Remus, still kneeling in front of her, as she broke off another piece of chocolate.

"Why are your friends so mean to you about the chocolate you like?" she asked innocently.

"They're just jealous of me because I'm different." Remus eyed her bubblegum-pink hair. "Just like I bet _your_ friends are jealous that you can turn your hair fun colors." Tonks smiled. "You know what else they're mean to me about?" he asked.

"What?"

"Well…" He took the chocolate bar from her hand. "I like to break off my pieces of chocolate like _this_." Remus broke one of the small squares in half, leaving a triangle in its place. "Instead of eating the whole piece at once." Tonks looked at him inquisitively.

"Why?" she asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

"Makes it last longer," he shrugged. "And for some reason it _really_ bothers Sirius, so I figure I ought to keep doing it." Tonks laughed and took back the bar of chocolate, breaking off a piece just like Remus had.

"I'll do it too then," she smiled. "As payback for beating me at Quidditch." Remus chuckled and stood up, offering his hand to help Tonks off the ground. She grabbed her broom and they headed inside, Tonks eager to get her hands on a piece of the cake that had been tempting her all day long…

* * *

"It was… You're the one… _You?_" Remus eyed an eyebrow in confusion.

"Sorry?"

"You're the one who gave me the chocolate!" The memory had hit her like an oncoming train. He was the same boy, the same friend of Sirius's, who had been kind and given her _that _bar of chocolate. The same boy who had been the reason at nine years old she'd started exclusively asking for Hunelby's, much to her mum's chagrin, and breaking it off into little triangles. He, Remus Lupin, was the same boy who'd later that night told her numerous stories of the adventures of a wolf, a rat, a dog, and a stag, marauding through the woods at night, looking for trouble but saving the day in the end.

"Well yes, I did give you that chocolate just now." He still looked confused.

"You were there for Sirius's birthday!" She paused, questioning her own memory. "And you gave me _this_ chocolate, which is the only kind I've eaten ever since. Those stories… They were about _you!_" _It all made sense now! Sirius was the dog, and _he _was the wolf; of course he was a werewolf!_ A knowing glint in Remus's eyes confirmed she was correct, but he remained mute on the subject. "And, and…" Her eyes widened in realization. _You're the boy I fancied, in the way only a small child can, for months, no, _years_, later._ She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Are you alright?" Remus asked, concerned by her sudden lack for words.

"I, I forgot that you existed." A look of relief crossed Remus's face.

"As I mentioned the other night, I'm afraid I am rather forgettable," he grinned cheekily. "No offense taken." Tonks covered her face in her hands, tossing the chocolate bar aside, and groaned, wishing the ground below her would swallow her whole. "Though if I may ask, what did finally cause you to remember who I was?"

"The triangles," she sighed, lifting her head. "I've broken off my chocolate into bits like that since I was a kid… because of you." Tonks once again was fighting the rising heat in her cheeks, hoping that Remus took it as pure embarrassment over forgetting someone rather than the other emotions roiling inside of her.

"Ah yes, I suppose that _is_ rather unusual." Remus picked up the chocolate bar, broke off another piece, and held it out to her.

"Eat. You'll feel better." Tonks smiled wearily as she accepted his offering.

"You told me that before."

"I haven't been wrong about it yet." A soft smile graced his lips before turning into a laugh. Tonks continued nibbling on the chocolate, and after another half hour of no new arrivals, they decided to call it quits, removing the charms they'd placed and slipping under the invisibility once more. As they headed back to where they had apparated earlier, Tonks mentally berated herself. _How could she _forget _him? _The cause of the rush of heat every time they touched had become blatantly clear. She had come face to face with her childhood crush, and, inexplicably, those feelings had never seemed to quite go away. _No_, she thought as she apparated back to Grimmauld Place, _I'm an adult. These feelings aren't real, they're just repressed, leftover childhood memories, that's all._

By the time they reached the front door of Number 12 she'd almost convinced herself it was true. She followed Remus into the empty kitchen, where he draftered up a report of the night's events. Unfortunately, the Malfoys' presence at the Notts' could easily be explained away as inviting over some friends for a nice dinner. He handed her a quill and she signed his name next to his, affirming the report's contents. "Well I'd say tonight was uneventful, but I'm afraid that would be understating it on my part," Tonks joked. "Either way, I'm afraid I still better be going, seeing as it's far past my bedtime."

She made it as far as the entryway. "Wait, before you go." Remus came up behind her. He muttered what sounded like _Accio_ under his breath, and sure enough, a distinctly yellow shape whizzed down the stairs and into his hand. "Since you seem to like it so much." He held out an unopened Hunelby's chocolate bar. Tonks smiled sheepishly, feeling both flattered and once again humiliatingly embarrassed.

"Should I be concerned?" she asked playfully, regaining her composure. "Are you running a secret chocolate trade on the black market with Dung, and that's why you've got such an innumerable supply?"

"A marauder never gives up his secrets, especially to an Auror." Remus bit his lip, holding back a smile, and Tonks's heart skipped a beat.

"We always get the bad guys in the end y'know. You'll spill sooner or later."

"I do rather hope it's later then, seeing as it's apparently past your bedtime," he smirked, pushing the chocolate bar into her hand and steering her towards the door. "Goodnight Nymphadora." For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to respond in her usual fashion. He _had_ given her chocolate, it was the least she could do.

"Goodnight Remus," Tonks called behind her. She took a deep breath and stepped out once more into the warm summer air, her earlier questions now answered, and fre more new ones in their place.


	2. It's Nice to Have a Friend (Part I)

The large wooden door gave a dull thud and clicked as Remus closed it, bubble-gum pink hair fading from view. He turned to make his way upstairs to bed, _finally_, but instead came face to face with his best friend. Sirius proffered a bottle of some liquor or another and Remus held up his hand, refusing. "Not now Sirius, I'm exhausted." He took a step to the right to move past him but Sirius apparently hadn't had _that_ much to drink yet, as he met Remus toe for toe, blocking his path.

"Come on Moony, just one drink?" Sirius held up the bottle once again, gently pushing it into Remus's chest while giving him his best dog eyes. "Please?" Remus looked at the still gaunt man and sighed, curling his fingers around the bottle in resignation.

"Fine Padfoot, just _one_." He followed Sirius down the stairs to the kitchen, wooden steps creaking under their weight. Remus returned the bottle and Sirius pulled out two tumblers so covered in grime Remus hoped the proof of the liquor was high enough to kill whatever might be living on them. Sirius, either unaware of the filth or drunk enough not to care, poured a good measure of an amber colored liquid in both glasses.

"Cheers," he said, handing Remus a glass. "To the newly reformed Order of the Phoenix, of which I am under strict orders to take no part in." Sirius spat the last words before taking a generous swig of his drink. Remus sipped his own, more out of reverence for tradition than any actual desire for the liquid blazing its way down his throat. Sirius paused, waiting expectantly for Remus to return the toast before finishing his glass entirely when all he received was a raised eyebrow in response.

"I don't think those were Dumbledore's _exact_ words," said Remus. "There's still plenty you can do." His words fell on seemingly deaf ears.

"So, Moony." Sirius's glass chinked on the table as he slammed it down, eagerly awaiting more of what Remus had guessed to be Ogden's Finest. "How was _whatever_ it was you were doing with my cousin tonight?" The firewhisky caught in Remus's throat and he spluttered, coughing into his arm.

"Excuse me?"

"Staking out the Nott's or something?" Sirius continued, nonchalantly filling his glass to the brim. "Or was it the Avery's?" Remus coughed again, biding himself time. _Why had his mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that Sirius had been suggesting anything untoward? Probably because it was Sirius_, he reassured himself.

"Er, yes. They were having some sort of gathering and Dumbledore wanted to know who'd been invited. Just the Malfoy's I'm afraid. Nothing overly exciting."

"Anything's more exciting than being stuck in this blasted house all day," Sirius grumbled. Remus sighed in agreement.

"I know. _I know_," he repeated at a pointed look from Sirius. "But Dumbledore's got his reasons and the last time I checked you are still a wanted man." Sirius smirked over the rim of his glass.

"Ya know, some days I don't know whether to be incredibly smug with myself for that fact or incredibly depressed." Remus swallowed another mouthful of firewhisky and raised his glass in sympathy.

"Well, _I_ much prefer you here to Azkaban." Sirius clinked his glass against Remus's.

"You and me both. So-" He topped up his glass once more before rather ungracefully plopping himself in one of the chairs around the table, motioning for Remus to join him. "How was it?"

"Fine. Everything went according to plan." The corners of his mouth twitched upwards at the thought. _Well, almost everything._ He hadn't exactly planned for having quite as much fun as he'd had.

"Anything else I need to know about?" Sirius asked knowingly, damn too perceptive for how much he had drank. "You look amused." Sirius wasn't wrong, but he suspected Tonks would prefer he not give her cousin any ammunition for something she seemed more than a little embarrassed about. Remus finished his drink, placing it on the table with a resounding thud.

"Nope. And with that, I must bid you goodnight Padfoot." He rose from his seat, pausing in the doorway. "Drink some water would you? For me? My head already hurts thinking about you tomorrow morning." Sirius scoffed and Remus trod up the stairs, desperate to meet the incredibly uncomfortable mattress that lay waiting for him.

The early morning sunrise crept through the blinds of the east facing window, eager to bathe everyone and everything in its warm light. Remus turned on his pillow, scrunching his eyes against the bright assault. He'd had quite the unusual dream, yet seemingly too little sleep for it to have even occurred. Something with chocolate that kept changing colors… He shook his head and willed himself up and out of bed, feet caressing the threadbare rug beneath them. Yawning, he grabbed the first shirt his fingers brushed from the old wardrobe, slipping his stiff arms in its sleeves. He'd have to ask Molly if she knew any charms to soften up the mattress, he thought, joints cracking as he stretched.

No one else had seemed to have risen yet, as Remus found the kitchen empty when he arrived to make himself a cup of tea. This was the usual case. He had been inexplicably cursed as an early riser no matter how little sleep he got. It paid off, he supposed, in being able to enjoy some peace and quiet in the morning. With the arrival of almost the entire Weasley family and the constant coming and going of various Order members, quiet moments in Grimmauld Place were few and far between.

When the kettle finally boiled he filled his mug (bright orange and chipped with the words "Chudley Cannons" emblazoned in bold font; definitely Ron's), added just a dash of sugar, and decided to make his way to the library. Arthur had brought back what little files he could find on the Department of Mysteries and Remus had promised he'd sift through them to see if they held anything useful. He'd just turned the corner at the top of the staircase when a bob of electric blue came hurtling right into him, sending his mug of still very hot tea splashing violently across his chest.

"_Shit! _I am so, so sorry Remus! I didn't even see you there, I-" Tonks, the culprit, looked mortified. Remus chuckled despite himself; it was certainly one way to spice up his usual morning routine.

"It's quite alright, just a bit of spilled tea. No harm done." The wide eyes of panic still hadn't left Tonks's face, even he waved his wand and cast _Scourgify_, removing the tea, and stains, entirely.

"It didn't burn you, did it? I'm a menace when it comes to this stuff, honestly, and I know it can be bad sometimes…" Paralyzing mortification had bubbled over into frantic rambling and concern.

"Tonks I'm fine, I promise." He gave her his best smile of reassurance as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's no big deal." She seemed to relax slightly under his touch. "Though this whole erasing me from your memory is another thing entirely." He smirked, removing his hand and folding his arms over his chest. Tonks's cheeks flared in both anger and embarrassment.

"Oh I don't have time for this right now! I've got to find those files Kingsley left, I'll deal with you _later._" She went to move past him but Remus blocked her path.

"Is that a promise?" he grinned cheekily. Tonks groaned exasperatedly, shouldering past him and down to the kitchen. Remus laughed but sobered quickly: _Merlin what had come over him to ask her that? _He hoped his amusement at her expense hadn't cost him too much of her good will, and seriously wondered if she would make good on her earlier threats. He collected himself, starting to feel a bit badly to be an addition to Tonks's apparently already unpleasant morning. She had yet to return to the entryway and assumedly had yet to find whatever it was she was looking for.

Remus descended down the stairs once again, serious apology fully prepared, but was greeted with the sight of Tonks halfway inside one of the kitchen cabinets, looking fully like she was off to explore some secret underground tunnel. "I don't know Kingsley _that_ well, but I don't think he'd leave files in the back of a doxy infested cupboard." Tonks groaned once again, backing out of the cupboard absolutely covered in dust and cobwebs.

"Nice try, Professor," she said sardonically. "Doxies live in textiles, any third-year knows that." She looked down, now noticing the number the cupboard had done on her robes. "What in Merlin's _name_ did I do to deserve this this morning?"

"I ask myself that same question when I wake up to a giant dog laying on my chest and drooling on my face." The corners of Tonks's mouth twitched slightly, giving Remus hope he hadn't passed the point of no return. "Here," he said, grabbing Molly's biscuit tin from the counter. "It's not chocolate, but, the least I could do on such short notice." He opened the tin and pulled out a ginger biscuit, handing it to her carefully.

"Fanks," Tonks replied, voiced muffled with crumbs.

"Just trying to reduce the count on ways I'm responsible for your shit morning."

"Yeah, alright," Tonks scoffed, eyebrows raised. She considered him for a moment before saying: "Though if you keep showing up with sweets every time I see you, I may just have to keep you around."

"I'll keep that in mind for the next mission we're paired together," he grinned. "And I guess that means I'll have to be extra vigilant about keeping Sirius out of my chocolate stash. Contrary to popular belief, it's not infinite." Remus returned the tin and its lid to where he'd found them. "Can I get you a cup of tea?" Tonks sighed heavily, looking torn.

"'M'fraid not." said Tonks. "These files aren't going to find themselves." She trudged towards the stairs in what Remus now noticed to be lime green combat boots. The sight made him smile and a warmth spread through him that was almost unfamiliar. _She's certainly colorful_, he thought.

"You might want to check the drawing room," he said as she started her ascent. "I think I saw Kingsley speaking with Arthur in there before we left last night."

"Thanks." She stopped midway up the staircase and turned back to face him. "Sorry again about the tea."

"Like I said, no harm done." Tonks retreated up the rest of the stairs. "It was just what I needed to really wake me up!" The sound of Walburga Black's obscenities was the only response.

"Next time you leave things at Headquarters please employ someone _else_ to find them." Tonks slammed down a pile of folders on Kingsley's desk.

"What happened?" he asked, calmly reorganizing the papers that had fallen out. "Did you have to wrestle them out of Kreacher's grasp or something?" She ignored the smirk on his face and looked around the office for anyone who might overhear before plopping herself down in the nearest chair with a sigh.

"No." Kingsley looked at her expectantly. Tonks lowered her eyes and looked away but it didn't last long; Kingsley was easy to talk to, must be why he always was lead on taking confessions. "I just don't know my way around there yet." It wasn't a complete lie. "Took me forever to find it."

He eyed her suspiciously. "Right…" Tonks squirmed under his gaze. She might as well just get it over with.

"I may have also, in the process of finding your damned files mind you, ran into Remus and knocked his tea all over him." She sighed in defeat; Kingsley cracked a smile.

"_Merlin_, Tonks with the look on your face I was expecting you to say you murdered the poor bloke."

"I think that's just what you're used to hearing when you interrogate people," she retorted. The problem was, Kinglsey wasn't entirely too far off the mark. The tea this morning was just the latest in a series of mishaps that had started less than twenty-four hours earlier.

"No," said Kingsley, kicking his boots up onto his desk and folding his arms across his chest. "There's more here. You've spilled hot tea over me _multiple_ times and have never looked even remotely guilty about it."

"You probably deserved it," said Tonks. "Remus was just an innocent bystander." Kingsley narrowed his eyes but stayed silent as Proudfoot and Savage walked past.

"I know you," he said once the other aurors were safely out of earshot. "There's something else you're not telling me." _You're right_, she thought. _I am certainly _not _telling you about the damned chocolate or anything else from last night or this morning that I'd rather just forget. It'd been working so well before…_ Tonks opened her mouth to respond but Kingsley cut her off. "I'll get it out of you eventually." She rolled her eyes. "I _always_ do, Tonks. Why do you think they've kept me around this long?"

"Your dashing good looks? Your uncanny ability to fit in with muggles?"

"You flatter me," he chuckled. "Now, if I were you, I'd get over to that stack of paperwork on your desk before Scrimgeour barges in here asking why he keeps us all employed." Tonks turned her head to look at her desk. _Stack? More like leaning tower…_

"Alright. You win," she conceded.

"And Tonks?" She stopped, pushing in the chair towards his desk. "I'm sure Remus doesn't hate you for spilling tea on him, if that's really what this is about."

"I just-"

"He's a good guy. Forgives easily. I mean, he's best friends with Snuffles, I'm sure he's had much worse done to him." Tonks nodded and gave Kingsley a small smile before returning to her desk, just in time to hear the shouts of: "Bloody idiots, _all_ of you!" coming from Scrimgeour's office.

A week later Tonks found herself back at Grimmauld Place. There was an Order meeting later that evening and afterwards her and Remus were off on another long night's watch of a supply store run by the Avery's. Mundungus had got word that there had been some rather suspicious late night deliveries and apparently Mad-Eye thought her and Remus up to the task. By some miracle she'd actually been able to leave work on time, and though the thought of a quick kip on her sofa before the night ahead was rather tempting, the thought of whatever Molly was making for dinner won out in the end.

It was of particular concern then when, as Tonks made her way down the stairs to the kitchen, that she was hit with the distinct smell of something burning. She opened the door, expecting perhaps to find the twins experimenting with some thing or another, only to find Sirius standing over the stove, flaming saucepan in hand.

"_Fuck!_" Tonks watched with wide eyes as a jet of water shot from Sirius's wand towards the pan and the flames grew higher in protest.

"You need to smother it!" she yelled. Tonks rushed over to Sirius, grabbed the metal sheet pan off the table (leftover from Molly's earlier biscuit baking), and covered the flaming pan with it. When the fire was finally out Sirius sighed with relief and let out a bark-like laugh.

"Well so much for my dinner then."

"I didn't know you could cook," Tonks blurted out. She eyed the previously smoking pan that now sat in the sink as well as Sirius's somewhat hurt expression. "I mean, I didn't know you were _trying_ to cook?" Sirius cracked a smile.

"It's Molly's night off. She's got all the kids off visiting their great aunt Muriel or something," he explained. "And with Moony still not due back for another hour, I was left to sort out my own dinner. And, well, you saw how that went…", he shrugged, the last of the smoke finally clearing out of the kitchen through the open window.

"But all that time you were on the run, surely you had to eat somehow?" The first time Tonks had seen Sirius he'd been thin, so much so that Molly made it a point to put seconds, thirds, and sometimes even fourths on his plate. Over the past couple of weeks he'd regained some color and seemed less like a pile of bones poking out all over the place.

"Ah, well you see I have become quite adept with the roasted rat à la brôche, but I am afraid that other delicacies were quite hard to come by in my cave." Sirius grimaced despite his cheery tone as he sat down at the table. "As for food fit for human consumption? Well, not my forte." Tonks's stomach rolled at the thought of living off rats for months on end.

"I can see that," she said. "Can't really take the piss out of you for it either though, seeing as I wouldn't do much better. I swear I live off takeaway half the time, what with my work schedule and stuff for the Order I really don't-"

Sirius's eyes lit up. "Did you say '_takeaway_'?"

"Um, yeah, why?" Tonks knew her mother wasn't particularly fond of her (and her father's) penchant for muggle food establishments, but honestly at two in the morning after three days straight at the Ministry, the only thing standing between her and the 24-hour kebab shop across the street from her flat was Voldemort himself.

"I haven't had takeaway since before I was arrested. Best part of living in London y'know, all the different nooks and crannies with delectable food hiding throughout the city." His eyes glazed over. "Oh what I'd give to have a curry and naan again..."

"Er, I can go pick us up dinner, Sirius." Tonks always kept some muggle money on her, particularly for her frequent trips to the coffee shop across the road from the Ministry.

"Really?" he gasped, lifting his head from where he'd flung it dramatically onto the table.

"Yeah, there's a curry house just down the road past the park-" She was cut off with a tight squeeze around her middle. Sirius had leapt from his chair so fast she didn't even have time to register the movement.

"You have officially surpassed your mother to rise to the top of my favorite cousin list." Tonks scoffed as he pulled away.

"I'm flattered," she replied dryly. "Especially considering we're the only two on the list to begin with." Sirius laughed and started rummaging through drawers (upending whatever semblance of order Molly had restored to them) until he finally resurfaced with a scrap of parchment and a quill.

"Right, now we'll need…"

Forty-five minutes and three heaving paper bags filled with all manner of kormas, tikka masalas, and every type of naan on the menu later, Tonks was once again back at Grimmauld Place. There had been too many muggles around at the shop to bewitch the bags into something more manageable to carry, and now that she'd made it nearly all the way back without dropping anything, she was too stubborn not to see it through to completion. She had expertly sidestepped the umbrella stand, even with the bags in front of her face blocking her view, and was just about to give herself a congratulatory pat on the back (or, well, would've if she had a free hand), when she turned the corner to the kitchen stairway and ran into something rather solid.

"Oof!" she gasped, wobbling backwards on the brink of toppling. A warm, all too familiar hand firmly grasped her arm just above the elbow while another rescued a bag on the verge of escaping to freedom. Tonks took a deep breath and regained her footing, relinquishing the bag to whom she assumed by this point to be Remus.

"We really need to stop running into each other like this." Tonks lowered the remaining bags just enough to see a cheeky smile grinning back at her. A sort of swooping sensation ran through her stomach at the sight.

"Must we?" she asked. "I thought you were keen on having an assortment of food and beverage thrust upon you as you went about your daily business.." Remus's smile grew wider; Tonks didn't know whether to curse or congratulate herself on the accomplishment.

"Whatever made you think that?" Remus shifted, leaning casually against the doorframe.

"It must have been your lack of telling me off about it the first time," she said. "Got to snuff out that bad behavior at the source otherwise it continues to grow."

"Ah, well I'll have to keep that in mind for the next time someone assaults me with-?" He looked questioningly at the paper bag in his hand.

"Dinner," Tonks supplied. Remus raised an eyebrow, warranting further explanation. "Indian. Sirius almost burnt down the place trying to cook… _something_ while you and Molly were out. Then he fed me a sob story about muggle takeaway, which, as a muggle takeaway lover myself, I couldn't resist. So here we are now with enough food to feed the entire Order." Tonks shifted on her feet. "I am sorry for running into you. _Again._ _And_ about the tea the other day, honestly, it was not my intention."

"I know." Remus's smile softened. "Come on, let's get this down to Sirius before he starts eating my shoes."

"Has he-?" Tonks tried to suppress a giggle.

"Yes," Remus sighed. "There came a point in sixth year where every pair of shoes I owned had bite marks in them." He turned to head back down the stairs and Tonks followed, laughing at the thought of sixteen year old Sirius terrorizing the Gryffindor boys' dormitory.

"Join us?" she asked as they reached the kitchen. "I wasn't kidding, this is actually enough food to feed the Order, plus all the Weasley children." A note of, well, _something_, flickered across Remus's face at the invitation, but it was gone before Tonks had any chance to decide on what it was.

"My two favorite people!" Sirius leapt up from his position at the end of the table. "Ah, perfect Moony! You're here and we can all eat before everyone else shows up and tries to steal my naan…" He ripped the bag from Remus's hands and took it over to the table, emptying its contents as if they were presents on Christmas morning.

"I guess I'm staying then," Remus said lowly. Tonks's stomach somersaulted; she only hoped the pounds of rice and curry she was about to shove down her throat could stop it from hurtling further into what seemed to be a rather werewolf filled abyss.


End file.
